Dubai is being promoted as a luxury high-class paradise in the desert, but the reality is brutally different, as Australian Alicia Gali discovered. Gali took a job in the UAE with one of the world’s biggest hotel chains, Starwood. What happened next makes this story a must-watch for every Australian planning on travelling through the region.

Gali was using her laptop in the hotel’s staff bar when her drink was spiked. She awoke to a nightmare beyond belief: she had been savagely raped by three of her colleagues [4 broken ribs]. Alone and frightened, she took herself to hospital. What Alicia didn’t know is that under the UAE’s strict sharia laws, if the perpetrator does not confess, a rape cannot be convicted without four adult Muslim male witnesses. She was charged with having illicit sex outside marriage, and thrown in a filthy jail cell for eight months.

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She was made to sign a confession in Arabic, that she'd had sex outside marriage, promoted dishonour, and drunk alcohol. Initially, after she'd been raped, the hotel refused to give her back her passport, because they invested money in her, and flown her to the UAE. The staff gave her rubbish information about Shariah law, and then left her to go to hospital on her own.

The Australian government then tried to shut her up, for some reason that's not explained.

Minus a few days last year I haven't left Florida in 16 years. Not that I can't afford to it's just I don't care. I've been to Europe (lived in Germany for 2 years), been to South America and that's good enough for me. Florida suits me; I don't need to go anywhere else.

There's been some minor interest in 3 British youths who were caught with drugs (or not). One at least had his testicles connected to the mains supply and then made a full and frank confession.

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The men, sentenced to four years each, say they also had guns held to their heads before signing documents in Arabic that they did not understand. Williams described having a towel put on his face by police and having electric shocks on his testicles, according to Reprieve, the human rights charity. Jeerh said he was punched, slapped and given electric shocks.

Just to point out, but it seems a little odd that the two stories are so drastically different from each other. More than a little, actually. Is there outside corroboration for what she said?

What two stories?

Starwood Hotels aren't disputing any of the details of the rape (as you see from the statement), but she has launched a lawsuit against them, to try to prosecute them for any incompetence/negligence. They are only quibbling about avoiding paying any compensation, to cover their arses, because if they admit that they are f-wits, there might be a public backlash.

The story says that security guards found her unconscious, and the men were in the room. Typically, if you have a foursome gang bang, you would not break 4 ribs, nor would you be stupid enough to report it to the police. You would say that you fell down the stairs. However, if you thought you had been raped, then you would be stupid enough to report it. The story has the smell of a lot of powerful people running away, and hiding behind legal shields.

They are only quibbling about avoiding paying any compensation, to cover their arses, because if they admit that they are f-wits, there might be a public backlash.

You seriously underestimate the public in UAE. They would all agree with the men. There would be no 'backlash.'

I am old enough to remember the case of an Iranian diplomat in the UK who, come the holy day of Eid-ul-Fitah, tied a live goat to the Embassy railings in central London and cut its throat, exactly as he would have done had he been in Tehran.

There was an outcry here and the diplomat was told to leave the UK. The Iranians could not see what he had done wrong and wondered why we hated Allah...

Are we surprised when, in Saudi Arabia, some Westerner is arrested for having alcohol? Or do we understand, even if we do not approve?

Edit to add "a live goat" - the whole point, which I missed out : (

« Last Edit: May 22, 2013, 09:14:43 AM by Graybeard »

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Nobody says “There are many things that we thought were natural processes, but now know that a god did them.”

I am old enough to remember the case of an Iranian diplomat in the UK who, come the holy day of Eid-ul-Fitah, tied a rope to the Embassy railings in central London and cut its throat, exactly as he would have done had he been in Tehran.

Just an aside, as I'm not familiar with this ritual - cut what's throat? Your sentence has him cutting the Embassy railing's throat, so I take it there's a mistake in your wording.

Conclusion : She is ignorant because this woman does not know the sharia (Arabic : ???????) who can be translated by "Path to respect the law of Allah". The problem is the next she is in a Muslim country and does not know theirs stupid laws.

1.In this juridic system four male witnesses must confirm the rape.2.A woman who is the witness of something have less value than a man.3.Read more about sharia and you will be probably shocked.

I am old enough to remember the case of an Iranian diplomat in the UK who, come the holy day of Eid-ul-Fitah, tied a rope to the Embassy railings in central London and cut its throat, exactly as he would have done had he been in Tehran.

Just an aside, as I'm not familiar with this ritual - cut what's throat? Your sentence has him cutting the Embassy railing's throat, so I take it there's a mistake in your wording.

My apology, it was a live goat he tied to the railings.

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Nobody says “There are many things that we thought were natural processes, but now know that a god did them.”